C3 Three

The next morning, Athena woke up feeling refreshed and like a whole new person. She was confused when she woke up in her bed, with a crystal box on her bed next to her. Then, memories from last night started to replay in her mind and then she remembered what had happened. She can't understand what had happened, even though her mind plays it over and over again. She doesn't know if it was real or if she was just dreaming.

Standing up from her bed, she grew rather dizzy and needed to sit back down. Her head aches and spins, she fears that she might be sick with madness. Madness is rather well-known nowadays, people in the village are getting sick and going mad. They're not in their right minds and often they take their own lives, or someone does it for them, ending them so they wouldn't have to suffer anymore. She fears that this is what is happening to her, although she knows she can't jump to conclusions.

After her mind stops spinning, she stands up and walks over to her desk. She sits on the wooden chair and looks in the mirror with her tired eyes. Her eyes widen and she needs to bite her inner cheek to keep herself from screaming from the fright. In the mirror, she sees herself but something about her has changed. Her hair is far longer than it was and the color has gotten more red than it was before. But in the midst something has changed is in her eyes.

The iris in her eyes is no longer blue as it once was, it's now deep orange almost red. Around her pupils there are lines that look like fire in a blood color. She starts to hyperventilate and can't believe that this is actually happening to her. She knows that it is not a dream and she's wide awake, yet she can't help but wonder how this is even possible. She stands up and runs out of her room, to the front room of the house. Where, she did not expect her brothers to be.

Sleeping on the sofa, like they never left since yesterday night.

"Jackson! Jasper! Wake up!" She yells softly at them.

The panic in her voice is enough to wake up the poor brothers. Jackson is the first to stand up form the sofa and draws his sword, but in doing so jasper falls down to with a thud and an ow.

"Athena!, what's the matter" Jackson asks, but then he sees that there is no threat.

"Look" She says and points to her eyes, nearly in tears from fright.

As soon as her brothers have taken a look into her eyes, they see what she means.

"Lord, Athen, What did you do?" Jackson asks, anger laced in his voice.

The two brothers glance at each other and already know what this is about, yet they want to hear it from their sister. They, were after all the only witnesses for what took place sixteen years ago.

"Nothing, just... I just touched the flame" She tells them, as she speaks, tears run down her cheeks and land softly of the wooden floor.

"What flame?" Jasper asks hesitantly.

Approaching his sister like she's a wild beast ready to attack, and he slowly wraps his arms around her and allows her to cry into his chest. She wastes no time bursting out in hysterics.

"Th-the o-nnee in in thhhe b-o-x" She hiccups as she wails and cries into her brother's chest.

Jackson runs to her room to see what exactly she's talking about.

"It's aright, Thena. You're alright" Jasper whispers to his sister, trying to help her.

Yet, he knows that nothing he does or say will ever help her with this. The two brothers have hid from her what happened to her, hoping that nothing like would ever happen again and for sixteen years, things have been quiet. Though, through the years, Athena has shown signs that she can handle heat more than anyone else. Like, at holidays, she snuggles close to the fireplace. Seeking comfort, of course. The young girl has never realized what she is capable of. Jackson comes back with the empty crystal box, and shows it to his sister.

"Is this it?" He asks, his voice full of terror and seriousness.

She only nods her head unable to speak without fear of breaking down even more, Jackson sets it down on the table in front of the sofa.

"Sit down, and tell me everything" Jackson commands her.

Her body begins to shake out of fear. Something that she never though she would be, at least not when the fear comes from the fright of her older brother. Jackson is the responsible one who very rarely gets angry, but she has never seen him so angry. Never. He's always so calm. Jasper is the one who has the temper, but never has he lost it on his sister.

"Jackson, you're frightening her" Jasper speaks harshly to his brother.

Jackson grows angrier by the second, as he already knows what is happening, And the fear of losing his baby sister frightens him and makes him so angry. Jasper helps Athena sit on the sofa, but keeps his arms around her. Trying to help her calm down, but doesn't know that the only thing that will be able to calm her down is the flaming fire and the man who will soon take her as his wife and his rightful Queen.

She does try to stop crying and tries to calm herself down but her heart is racing and she's very scared. When she finally is able to find her voice again she begins to speak, and receives complete silence while she tells her brothers everything that happened.

"It began when we returned from the village. I went to my room like normal, and I thought I was going to sleep, but that is when I saw the box on my bed. I was curious about it and it was like it was calling to me so I picked it up and opened it. A flame was in it, it was so beautiful. I could not help myself but to touch it" She begins and stops for a moment, but she doesn't look at her brothers while she speaks.

Her gaze is on the fire place, where only ash is now. The fire from yesterday, has gone out. She stares at it and somehow she finds the strength to go on with the story.

"First it felt amazing. The fire did not harm me and I loved it. I felt safe. And, then it felt weird. It started to go up my arms and make me stronger. Then I felt weaker and this blackness came over my vision and next thing I know I'm waking up this morning looking like this" She finishes telling them everything that had happened.

But something strange happens again right before her eyes, the fire place she's been staring at the entire time she's been telling her story about what happened, the fireplace lights up. The Golden flames reaching high, but never goes further than the fireplace, and the crackling noise loud, yet so quiet. A gasp leaves her lips and she jumps up from shock when she sees the fireplace has been lit, but no one has touched it. The thoughts in her mind are swirling and she knows she did this, she had of course been staring at the fireplace for the longest of time, but she can't seem to grasp how she did it. Jackson and Jasper are also shocked by this revelation.

"Jackson, we have to tell her" Jasper speaks, after a moment of silence had taken place.

No one dared to speak a word after what had happened.

"We can't. I will not lose her" Jackson says to him.

Athena looks at them very confused and unsure of what they are talking about.

"Thena, there's a reason why this is happening to you" Jasper begins to speak.

"No, we can't tell her. She can't know" Jackson interrupts him and stands up and forcefully takes his brother and pushes him outside, where they start to bicker and argue on the matter before them.

All the while Athena, sits on the sofa, confused and scared of everything that is happening. It's clear as day that her two brothers are keeping something from her and at this point, she should know what they are hiding. Especially If it brings to light what is happening to her. She deserves that at least, this is her life after all. She suddenly becomes entranced by the fire in the fireplace, and without thinking she slowly gets up from the sofa and unconsciously makes her way to in front of it and kneels down.

The brothers return, and they find her kneeling on the ground, in front of the fire. Observing it, watching it closely. If any other person would be this close, they'd feel uncomfortable and back away. However, Athena likes being this close to the fire. The nearer she is, the safer she feels. The two of them watch her, to see what she will do. But she doesn't notice them.

Athena is lost in her own little world, and her mind is so focused on the dancing fire that nothing else seems to matter to her. Her hand reaches out to touch the flame. Her fingers touch the spikes of the fire. Alarmed and frightened for his sister's safety Jackson runs to his sister to save her from burning, even when he knows that she won't. But, once he's a few inches away from her, the fire starts to become violent. The fire moves towards him, like a wave on the sea, throwing him back.

Athena does not move as this happens. She does not even move her eyes from the fire, it's as if she is in a trance. In shock, Jackson tries again to reach her again but fails. Again the fire comes in a wave and throws him back , he knows if he doesn't want to get burned he has to stop. Jasper watches all of this and sets his hand on his brother's shoulder to stop him from trying for the third time.

Athena has to be stopped before the fire has a chance to burn the whole house to ashes.

"Fera ignis, detrahet me mea monarch" The girl speaks in a monotone, a language that she knows not but speaks fluently.

She says it over and over again to the fire, like she's being hypnotized by it. Jackson and Jasper don't know what to make of this, their sister is clearly not herself, they see that.

"What can we do?" Jaxon asks, his eyes never leaving his sister, as she chants these words.

To an outsider, she would be accused of witchcraft. And, she'd be burned at the stake. Yet, even if she were to be put on the stake, she'd never burn. She'd rise and who knows what would happen to those who would want her dead. The man who rules hell will kill any creature to make sure that his future bride is safe.

"Nothing, we've lost. He will come for her. He'll take her away from us, like he swore he would do. She has come of age and believe she's calling him" Jackson says, admitting that they have been defeated.

Suddenly Athena falls to the floor, and her chants have stopped. The fire is still raging. But her body does not move, except for her chest showing she is still alive. Her eyes are closed and if someone were to walk past the house and look inside the window, they'd think that she's sleeping by the fire for warmth. Yet, that's not the case. Jackson takes the risk again, and slowly goes closer to his unconscious sister that lies on the wooden floor. This time, he is successful and he reaches for her. He gets to his knees and hugs his sister, knowing that he will lose her in matter of minutes.

His younger brother also joins him and the both brothers weep for their little sister. Knowing they will lose her forever.

Not even a minute passes before the door is busted open, the force almost breaks the door, for it's rather fragile. A man walks inside. As soon as his foot touches the wood of the floor, the candles and the fire becomes brighter and stronger. Lifting its flame higher than before. The heat from the fireplace hurts the poor brothers who cry for their sister. Backing away, they know that the fire does not harm her.

Never has and never will.

The man walks to the unconscious girl on the floor and goes down on his knees. As if the two of them were alone in the world, his hand caresses her cheek, feeling the soft touch of her skin. As he has dreamed of touching for seventeen years since the last time he held her. Picking her up bridal style, he holds her close to his body. Not only to protect her from any danger but also because he wants to feel her close to him. Having her close to him is everything and hell will reign over if anything happens to his Queen.

"Please, don't take her" Jackson begs, on his knees. His last attempt to get his sister back.

"You shall be rewarded with all the gold you need" The man speaks, ignoring the pleading brothers, who beg for their sister.

With the girl in his arms, he leaves the house, the door slams shut behind him with such force it shakes the small house. Only to leave the poor brothers alone and crying out for their baby sister, the one who they've cared for since the day of her birth and love her more than life itself.

They would give their lives for her, and nearly have just to make sure she was safe. Jackson has already lost fingers for her and Jasper has a scar on his stomach that proves that he has taken a blow for her. Jackson made a vow that he will stop at nothing to bring his sister home, with her family instead of that monster who has taken her away.

And, from this day forward, the two brothers will do everything in their power to save her.

The man walks away from the house and to the road ahead of him, keeps looking at the girl in his arms and can't believe how beautiful she looks. No matter how often he has visited her when she slept soundly in the night, he always found her beauty to be the most magnificent and how often he'd wish to wake her up so she'd see him, just so he could look into her eyes and fall in love with her all over again. In the middle of the muddy road, a hole has opened straight from hell and stairs appear that lead down the way that he came and is the way that he will carry his future bride to the underworld with him.

The stairs are as red as blood and he walks down them, on either side of the staircase, demons of all kinds have gathered to see their new Queen and are eager to see her rule beside their King. The stairs are long, as they are indeed going down to the underworld. The man doesn't care how long he has to go, the more time he can have with his Queen in his arms, the better. Her soft breaths are what gives him strength to go on and he only lives for her. Without Athena, his life has no meaning and might as well be dead.

The man finally reaches his destination when he has gone down all those stairs, with the cheers of the demons that annoy him more than anything. His castle is what is at the bottom of the stairs and as the gates open for him and his future wife, he goes inside his home and goes straight for his bedroom. More stairs he needs to climb this time, to reach the highest tower of the castle, as that is his bedroom. In each hallway, guards stand and don't move a muscle, until the King walks by and they bow before him.

Ignoring them, the man goes to his bedroom, the doors are opened by his guards and then they are closed behind him. Leaving him and the unconscious girl in his arms alone. Gently he sets her down on the bed, in the middle so she's safe and won't fall off, you never know what might happen. Pulling the covers over her body, making sure that she is warm but still not too warm. Her hands over her stomach. In his eyes, she looks like an angel and she truly is an angel.

The devil has fallen in love with an angel.

She looks so peaceful when she's asleep. Her cheeks a have a bit of pink and her lips red as a rose. The red hair she possesses is like fire and it makes her pale skin stand out. He can't wait to look into her eyes and see how beautiful they are, as he knows that the fire he gifted her has changed her eye color, a sign that she does indeed have the power over fire, as does he. And, the two of them will reign over hell as they destined to do.

Unfortunately, the man has to leave the beautiful Athena while he attends his duties. Not only as the King of the underworld but also as a future husband, and when she wakes up, he wants everything to be perfect. Plans have been made and lets just hope that his Queen will like them. He will do anything for her and he wants her to get the best of the best, no matter the price. He bends down over her body and kisses her forehead before he takes a final look at her before standing up and walking out of the bedroom.

Of course, being apart from her, even for a few minutes, is torture for him. He has been longing for her since the day that she was born, and even visiting her wasn't enough. He craves her touch and wishes for nothing than to have her in his arms and to never let go. The man goes down to the throne room, where he sits on his high throne and orders his subjects. As soon as the man leaves his bedroom, like sleeping beauty, Athena who had been sleeping on the bed opens up her eyes and she begins to look around at her new strange surroundings.